May 29, 2009

The Charlotte News Observer reports that North Carolina State and Tennessee will face each other in the 2012 season opening Chick-Fil-A College Kickoff game. The article goes on to say that UNC is working with the Atlanta Sports Council to get into the game in 2010. Per the article:

UNC is negotiating a deal to face its own SEC opponent in the 2010 Kickoff game. UNC has three possible opponents for the game -- LSU, Georgia or Ole Miss.

UNC's problem is the same as Georgia's in 2010. They need six home games. If they play a game in the Georgia Dome, they will only have five without pushing an existing non-conference road game to a later year. The News Observer says UNC is working with Rutgers and South Carolina to move a road game while UGA would need to work with Colorado on the same problem.

LSU and Ole Miss both have existing commitments on their books for the 2010 opener. However, both would be easier to move. LSU has a game at Tulane, and Ole Miss has a home game against Jacksonville State.

The scenario to get UGA might be as simple as Colorado moving our game there from Oct. 2, 2010 to Sept. 15, 2012. That would involve the Dawgs likely dropping the incredibly unappealing (to me) series with Louisville and opening a road date. And the Buffs moving their game at Fresno State around. (See how many dominoes have to fall to get us into the Dome?)

ESPN works with the schools to navigate these problems.

At the rate at which UNC is recruiting and improving, they should be a big boy opponent in 2010. If Jevon Snead bolts Ole Miss after this season, I anticipate the Rebels having more of a rebuilding year next season. If I were the ATL Sports Council, my preference would be 1) LSU 2) UGA and 3) Miss.

I think this would be appealing...just move the CO game back a year or two, they will be in better shape then with them team (more than likely), as it is now, our game in 2010 is most likely a no win proposition.

I live in Raleigh. UNC is definitely getting better and recruiting very well. UNC is like a smaller version of Athens (Franklin Street compared to...well, all of Downtown Athens). It would be a good rivalry--not to mention adding Carolina girls to the mix in Athens is always nice!No Dome--go home/home series.

Home and home series with UNC. Hell f-ing yes. The two oldest state universities, each a member of their own "oldest Southern rivalries" (ours with Auburn, theirs with UVA), a trip to Chapel Hill. Can we get Flat Duo Jets, Pylon, R.E.M., and SCOTS to play at halftime? Sign me up!

Lol at all this Colorado banter. Yes, Jitterbug that game was most definitely in Athens. Please hook me up with whatever hallucinogen made you think Athens was Boulder...it must be good.

As I've stated before, having a neutral game in the dome other than the SEC champ game is a terrible idea. I love Atlanta, but the tailgating at the dome is terrible. Sacrificing a game at Sanford or a legit away game for that would be dumb.

I live in Raleigh and I can tell you that a game at UNC would be a lot of fun for the Bulldog Nation. Not sure where the idea of us playing NC State came from but the stadium is right next to the RBC Center and tailgating takes place in a field they use for the state fairgrounds . . . it sucks and is off campus. Chapel Hill all the way!

That game in Boulder in 2006 was fun, but not nearly as good as that 2001 game against Tennessee that we played in Memphis when David Greene threw that late TD pass to A.J. Green. If I remember correctly, Scott Howard had a great call on the radio after that TD, something about boots of Spanish leather. He must be a big Bob Dylan fan.

"Home and home series with UNC. Hell f-ing yes. The two oldest state universities, each a member of their own "oldest Southern rivalries" (ours with Auburn, theirs with UVA), a trip to Chapel Hill. Can we get Flat Duo Jets, Pylon, R.E.M., and SCOTS to play at halftime? Sign me up!

In the Georgia Dome? Um, no."

AMEN to that sir. Might as well invite the Connells to join the party too.

Being in Charlotte, this would give me a great chance to finally be able to shut all these UNC elitists up. Now, I'd love to see the Dawgs play here in the CLT - 72,000+ vs @ 54,000 at Kenan - but that should absolutely be a home & home deal.